Publisher's description

Koi Pierce dreams other peoples' dreams.

Her whole life she's avoided other people. Any skin-to-skin contact--a hug from her sister, the hand of a barista at Stumptown coffee--transfers flashes of that person's most intense dreams. It's enough to make anyone a hermit.

But Koi's getting her act together. No matter what, this time she's going to finish her degree at Portland Community College and get a real life. Of course it's not going to be that easy. Her father, increasingly disturbed from Altzheimer's disease, a dream fragment of a dead girl from the casual brush of a creepy PCC professor's hand, and a mysterious stranger who speaks the same rare Northern Japanese dialect as Koi's father will force Koi to learn to trust in the help of others, as well as face the truth about herself.

My review

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions shared are 100% my own.

Dream Eater is based on ancient legends. While the legends of many different cultures are referenced, Japanese legends are most represented here along with some Pacific Northwest American legends.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

This is a book blog first and foremost, but it's also a book blog written by someone owned by cats. So every Saturday is officially Caturday here at Purrfectly Bookish. If you have an awesome kitty, doggy, peeg, ratty or any other pet you would like to see here, you can either comment with a link to a picture or email me about sharing your cute pictures on some Caturday Saturday.

Publisher's description

Springtime has arrived at Riverlake Forest! Buds are blooming on trees, and the air smells of honeysuckles. Sophie Mouse can't wait to go back to school after the long winter break. But she and her classmates are in for a surprise when they learn that they're getting a new classmate . . .

My review

I'm not even sure how I happened to pick this up at the library since it is really below Miss R's reading level, but there it was on the library shelf.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

This week's throwback is a little different. I'm resharing an interview I did with my friend Rebecca Roland leading up the release of Book 2 of the Shards of History series, Fractured Days. The third and final book, Shattered Fates, will release next month on May 23rd.

This interview was first published on my old blog on June 15, 2015.

The interview

INTERVIEW WITH REBECCA ROLAND, AUTHOR OF SHARDS OF HISTORY, FRACTURED DAYS, THE GRAVEYARD GIRL AND MORE:

1. This is something I’ve always wondered about authors - did you grow up wanting to be a writer/author or is this something you found later in life? If it’s something you’ve always wanted to do, has it turned out to be how you imagined it or very different?

As a kid I loved reading, and in junior high I wrote a mash-up fan fiction piece based on The Hound of the Baskervilles and Def Leppard. It was fun to write, and it entertained my friends. But I never considered being a writer until I was an adult and done with grad school (and therefore had more free time). It really sort of hit me one day that I finally had the time and the drive to do it. When I started submitting short stories and working on a novel I realized I had a lot of work to do to learn more about the craft, but I love the work I've put into it, and I love seeing how much my stories have improved over time.

2. What is your work schedule like when you are writing? Especially with a little one at home?! I can’t seem to get anything done with my two around and they are older (and more independent) than your little minion. On that note, how long does it take you to finish a novel (with all the “real life” and distractions)?

My work schedule has changed a lot as my son has grown. When he was a baby/toddler, prime writing time was during his nap. Now he's five, and he's given up his nap (sob). So I write at all sorts of weird times. Sometimes I write at night, sometimes I write while he's absorbed in a game or TV or playing, sometimes I write during my lunch break at work, and sometimes I leave the house for a coffee shop (like right now). My brain can be pretty mushy later in the day, so it helps if I already know the bones of the scene I'm working on, that way I can jump right into it when I have time.

Of course some things have to go in order to make time for writing. I hardly watch TV anymore, which isn't a bad thing. I read less than I used to, which does bug me sometimes. I think my son is almost at the point where I can try bringing my laptop to the playground and getting some writing done there, but I still feel like I have to watch him a little too much right now to make it easy for me to hold a train of thought. It does take discipline to sit at the computer and write without being distracted by the Internet, but writing time is so precious that I usually get to it without messing around too much. Sometimes I set a timer if I'm more distracted than usual and tell myself that if I write for a certain number of minutes, then I can goof around. I'm totally into bribing myself.

As far as how long it takes to finish a novel, it's taken as long as two years for one and as short as three months for another. As I've learned more about writing, my pace has gotten faster.

3. Where did the inspiration come from for the Shards of History series?

It actually started as a short story I wrote at the Odyssey Writing Workshop. I had a couple of days to turn in a story and didn't have a clue what I would write. I had this dream one night in which there were homes built into the middle of a huge cliff with no obvious way to them. I woke up and wondered what sort of people would live in a place like that and realized that nobody human would. I came up with the Jeguduns, which are winged, wolfish creatures, and then a short story that centered around one of them. The short story felt like part of a bigger story, though, so when I got home I wrote out the rest. I love the rugged beauty of the Southwest, so I incorporated that into my story.

4. Are any of the characters inspired by people you know in real life? Which character in the book is most like you?

Situations and personalities I'm familiar with have definitely made it into the book. I never set out to purposefully model a character after someone I actually know, unless it was some random stranger who I'll never meet again. I'm probably most like Malia. In the first book in the series, she's accused of having her head in the clouds, and that's definitely me. When I'm daydreaming, a nude marching band could pass me by and I'd never notice.

5. When you start a series, do you plan on it being a series from the start or does the story wind up building into a series as you write it?

I didn't plan for Shards of History to turn into a series, although while I worked on it I realized I certainly had plenty of material there for one. So I wrote the first book in such a way that it could either stand alone or continue.

6. How much do you plan a “roadmap” or outline of the book before you start versus letting the characters and story develop and morph as you write?

When I started writing years ago, I wrote by the seat of my pants. I had only the vaguest idea of where a story would end up. I tried outlining, but it sucked all the fun out of the process of creating a rough draft. But with experience I've been outlining more. I have finally put together a process that works for me, takes the least amount of time, and keeps the joy and excitement in the process of writing. I do a 'character interview' where I get to know them and their motivations a bit more. Then I think about how I want the story to end. Where will the characters end up? How will they grow and change? After that I go back to the beginning and plug in the major events. And I always drift away from the outline. Sometimes I figure out something better when I get to a scene, so there's still some spontaneity.

7. What are you working on right now?

I'm working on the third book in the Shards of History series. This will most likely be the final one in the series (at least, that's what I'm aiming for). I'm about ten percent into it and having fun tormenting my characters.

8. Who is your favorite author? What about them inspires you?

I love, love, love Lois McMaster Bujold. She's written a couple of fantasy series, but I really fell in love with her space opera series about Miles Vorkosigan. Her characters are so real that I expect them to jump off the page (especially Miles, who is quite energetic, a little neurotic, and prone to getting in trouble). Miles is also extremely clever, and he's honorable. He would be the sort of friend who might drive you nuts sometimes, but he'd be the first on hand to help out. The series has ranged from the very serious (identity issues, deaths of major characters, class issues, etc) to a comedy of errors to a murder mystery, and all of them taking place in this complicated universe.

9. Do you have any strange or quirky writing habits?

I typically prefer to write with some sort of caffeinated beverage and maybe snacks. I try to eat healthy, but when I'm on a deadline or particularly stressed, I'll turn to chocolate.

10. If the Shards of History series gets optioned for a film, who do you see playing Malia, Enuwal and any other main characters?

Fun question! I think Lynn Collins as she looked in John Carter would make a great Malia. I'd cast Dwayne Johnson as Dalibor. Jimmy Smits would make a great Rasmus, and a younger Benjamin Bratt could play Enuwal. In Fractured Days, Saoirse Ronin would make a great Sersha (and actually, I used a different version of the name Saoirse for the changer's name). She looks sweet, but she showed she can be intense in Hanna. Gemma Ward has the soft look I imagine for Chanwa. I like Nathalie Emmanuel from Game of Thrones for Ankti. And finally, Chris Hemsworth would make a great Muvumo.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

WWW Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. I won't share every Wednesday but I do think it's fun to occasionally check in with what everyone is reading so be sure to share in the comments. If you share your answers on social media, be sure to link to your responses on the main site and visit some of the other contributors.The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading: I first started working with World Weaver Press since they are the publisher for my friend Rebecca's Shards of History series (which you've heard a lot about here, here, and here). I've found the quality of storytelling among their authors to be very good. I'm currently reading another WWP publication, Dream Eater by K. Bird Lincoln. Miss R and I are currently reading Wild Born (Spirit Animals #1) by Brandon Mull. I recently received several boxes of hand-me-down books from a neighbor and we picked this book out of that box.

Reading next: I've started three different books that I haven't finished so I will be finishing those! Shattered Fates by Rebecca Roland (releasing May 23rd - I will post my review then), Daughter of Deaths by Christopher Mannino and A Witch Before Dying by Heather Blake.

Publisher's description

Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.

Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past.

Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world.

In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee’s house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women....

My review

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions shared are 100% my own.

This is the second book from Karen White that I have read. The first, The Sound of Glass, was more of an unlikely sisterhood story. This story is more about unlikely friendships and which ones you can trust and which ones you can’t. Ms. White is a master of writing about the Deep South and the Southern Bells and Steel Magnolias who live there. The story telling in The Night the Lights Went Out, as well as The Sound of Glass, was superb.

Merilee Dunlap is a recently divorced mother of two, and Sugar Prescott is the nonagenarian who owns the rental house Merilee moves into after her divorce. Both women have secrets and both women need a friend. The story is told from four different perspectives: Merilee’s in current times, Sugar’s in current times, Sugar’s in the past, and by the unknown and observant author of a blog about the goings-on in the quiet little suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. I enjoyed this setup, particularly how the author handled Sugar’s flashbacks. So often, flashbacks are included as a way for the reader to know what happened in the past but they aren’t written in a way for the other modern characters in the book to know the information. Sometimes authors don’t keep this information clear and a modern character wounds up “knowing” something from a flashback they never had reason to learn. In The Night the Lights Went Out, Ms. White writes Sugar’s recollections as stories she is sharing with Merilee about her past. But rather than the story be all modern dialogue, the author switches the perspective to a flashback scene with Sugar as the narrator. She does a good job then of not having the “old” Sugar have the perspective of the modern Sugar. I also enjoyed the blog posts. There were times I found myself noticing that we hadn’t heard from the blog author recently and hoped for a new post soon.

The side characters are also well developed. Often in novels with such interesting and complex main characters, the side characters become afterthoughts and wind up being a bit two-dimensional at best. Not here. Many of the secondary characters deserve stories of their own. I would have liked to see a bit more of Lindi Mathews, a local attorney and the other working mom at the prestigious private school, but even in her too-few appearances, she is a nuanced character.

Now, to my issue with the book, and this one is a personal one so it might not hold true for every reader. I figured out the mysteries early in almost every instance. I’m not sure that it was a fault of the author or if just somehow my brain leapt there on its own accord. There were a few side mysteries that were a surprise and just how far the “back guy” would go was shocking, but all in all, the big stuff? I had it figured out early. And I’m not normally one who tries to solve the mystery early! I really just like for it to unfold in the story and be taken along for the ride! As a result of constantly waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop, the story wound up being extremely intense for me. Like Dan Brown intense! I was on edge and anxious and wound up having trouble sleeping until I got this book finished in the last couple days. Ack! I am still recommending the book. But I am glad it is over now so maybe my brain can settle down!

If you are looking for a light, fluffy chick-lit novel for by the pool, this is not it. It’s only my second Karen White book, but based on what I know so far, her books aren’t it. They are however well written with characters you will love (or love to hate). If you’ve spent any time in the South (for me, 15 years in Mobile, Alabama), I think you’ll like this book. It helps if you can internally read the dialogue with a Georgia accent. I especially enjoyed the blog author’s explanations of some Southernisms. I knew many already but even I learned a thing or two. Lord willin’ and the creek don't rise, I plan on reading more Karen White.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Welcome to the Monthly Manly Review. Every month, my husband Jason contributes to Purrfectly Bookish with a book review and a linky so other male readers can share as well. Whether you're a book blogger yourself - or whether some of the female readers have just convinced the men in their lives to write a review - your link is welcome!

Publisher's description

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

Jason's review

In anticipation of the upcoming series on Hulu, and because it had been sitting on my “to read” pile for approximately forever, I decided to finally crack open The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Handmaid is the story of Offred, a woman living in the near future in Gilead, in what was once part of the United States. Gilead is run by a extreme far right theocratic government, in which social roles (especially those of women) are strictly formalized and limited. Offred (read this Of Fred) is a Handmaid, whose role is limited to that of a reproductive vessel, assigned to powerful men to produce children, as fertility is a scarce resource in this future.

The story follows Offred through her time in the house of the Commander, and her increasingly entangled relationships with him, his Wife, a fellow Handmaid and others. Parallel is some of her backstory, from before the rise of Gilead and her attempts to escape its oppressive government.

In my opinion, there isn’t much “action” in the book, but that isn’t the point. Atwood does a masterful job building tension towards some undetermined negative end (I mean how can such a story end happily?), without the need for car chases, bombs or other Michael-Bay-esque pyrotechnics. The story here is about what happens to Offred as a human, both in her past (finding and losing love and a child) and in her present. Hope is the scarcest of resources here, and just the faint flicker of it is enough to drive the story and our protagonist towards its conclusion.

What is truly wonderful about this story is that is has aged so well. This story, if written in 2015 and not 1985, would stand up just as well. The fact that the issues facing Offred in this story still ring so true is also the most impactful thing about this book. As a woman of child-bearing age, Handmaids are treated by society as not human, but as essentially livestock, being assigned for the benefit of powerful men, and valued only for their reproductive capacities. When those are expired, Handmaids are cast aside. The roles of women in this story are so structured as to be prisons for even the most privileged among them.

Most near-future dystopian fiction I’ve read contains seeds of fantasy, a catastrophic events or series of events that allow the reader to distance themselves from the story, making it enjoyable (and often well-written) brain candy. Atwood, by contrast, keeps her vision of the near-future close enough to retain that link to non-fiction. Given the path of political discourse and human rights over the last 30 years, her story may be more unsettling now than when she wrote it.

The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t my personal dystopia, but I can see it from here.

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